Sheep-dipper



(No Model.)

` 2 Sheets-Sheet -1. E. A. SIEKER 8u A. H. SCHMIDT.

SHEEP DIEPER.

PatengdfMar. 28, 18934.

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`(No Mom.) 2 sheetssheet 2i E. A. vSIEKER 8v A. H. SCHMIDT.

SHEEP DIPPER. f

1atented'Meu. 8, 1893.

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UNrTnD STATES PATENI OFFICE.

DVARD ARMIN SIEKER AND ADOLPH H. SCHMIDT, O F BROWN WOOD, TEXAS.

SHEEP-DIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,265, dated March 28, 1893.

Application led October 10, 1892. Serial No. 448,405. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

B e it known that we, EDWARD ARMIN SIE- KER and ADoLPH H. SCHMIDT, citizens of the United States, residing at Brownwood, in the county of Brown and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Sheep-Dipper, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices for dipping sheep, the objects in view being to provide means whereby the drowning of sheep may be avoided; furthermore to provide/a device which may be readily operated Without requiring that the entire weight of the sheep under treatment be lifted by the operator; and furthermore to provide a device which may be supported uponwheels and made portable, and which is provided with simple and efficient means for conveying the sheep into and from the vat containing the dip.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective View of a sheep-dipping machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same, on line @aux of Fig. l showing the cage elevated in full lines and depressed in dotted lines.

A represents the vat, which is adapted to contain the dip, the upper edges of the vat being provided with vertical side-guards, B B, which are permanently secured thereto, and removable end guards or gates, C C.

Vertical standards, D D, are arranged, respectively, at the several corners of the vat, the same being provided at their upper ends with grooved rolls, d cl.

Hinged to the ends of the vat, by means of transverse removable hinge-rods, e e, arel the counterbalancing gang-ways or platforms, E and E', the former being provided with transverse strips, F, to adapt the same for use as an entrance gangway for the sheep, and the latter being provided with outwardly-convergent, concentrating ribs, F', which lead to a drip-hole,f, at the outer end of the platform.

`This latter platform is designed to provide the means whereby the sheep reach the ground after leaving the vat, and the concentrating ribs upon the platform serve to prevent the dip which drips from the sheep from being wasted. It flows to the drip-hole and escapes into a suitable receptacle, G, placed there for that purpose.

The cage, H, lits snugly in the vat and is provided with anti-friction rollers, h, h, to bear against the sides thereof to render its move-A l ments easy, and upright rods, I I, arranged at the several corners of the cage, are provided at their upper ends with' eyes, z' z', to which are attached the ends of the running cables, K, which are attached at their outer ends to staples, la lo upon the upper sides of the gangways or platforms, a series of said staples being provided to enable the leverage of the platforms to be adjusted at will.

The uprights upon the cage, or elevator, are held in position by inclined braces, L L.

M is a movable, balancing lid, arranged to cover the cage or elevator and provided with slots, m 'm to receive the uprights and antifriction rollers to travel upon the same. Stops, lm. m are arranged upon the uprights, at a suitable height from the floor of the cage4 or elevator, to hold the lid.

An operating lever, N, is fulcrumed to the side of the vat, at a suitable distance from its bottom, and is connected by means of a cord or cable, O, to a spider, P, arranged upon the lid, said cord or cable traveling over a guide roll q, arranged at'the upper end of the standard, Q, land a similar roller, r, at the inner extremity of the arm, R.

The sheep pass up the entrance platform or gangway, E, to the floor of the cage or elevator, and after a sufficient number have assembled at this point the gate is closed, and the free end of the operating lever is elevated thereby allowing the Weight of the balancing lid to bear upon the cage or platform, thereby depressing the latter into the vat. When the free end of the lever is depressed andthe lid raised from the cage or elevator, the latter rises, being depressed by the connterbalancing weight of the gaugways or platforms. The cables are connected to the gangways or platforms at such points that when the cage or elevator is loaded with sheep the former will counterbalance and elevate the latter, When,it will be understood that the elevation or depression of the cage will depend upon ICO the lid. lNamely, when the lid rests upon the cage the latter will be depressed, and when IWill rise.

the lid is elevated from the cage the latter This enables the machine to be operated Without any considerable exertion by means of the operating lever.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a sheep vdipping machine, the combination with a vat of a vertically movable cage or elevator, hinged counterbalancing gang- Ways or platforms connected to the cage or elevator and means for elevating the latter,

rights to cover the cage or elevator, the gan-g- Ways or platforms connected by cables to the uprights upon the cage or elevator, and the f operating lever connected. to the lid, substan- 1 tally as specified.

4. In a sheep dipping machine, the combination With the vat, of a cage or elevator adapted to move vertically therein, means to operate the same, and hinged gangways or platforms connected at their free ends, by cat bles, to the cage or elevator, one of said gang- Ways being provided with transverse strips t0 form means to enable the sheep to ascend, and the other being provided With convergent, concentrating ribs, leading to an escapehole, substantially as specified.

5. In a sheep dipping machine, the combination With the vat provided with side guards and vertical standards, of a cage or elevator provided with uprights, a lid mounted to slide upon said uprights, end-gates to close the ends of the vat between the side-guards, the hinged l, gangways or platforms, the connectingcables attached to the uprights upon the cage and connected' to staples upon the gan-gways, and

i the operating lever7 connected to the lid, substantial'ly as specified.

In. testimony that We claim the foregoingas 1 our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presencey of two witnesses.

EDWARD` ARMIN SIEKE'R'. ADOLPI-I IVI. SCHMIDT'. Witnesses:

C. L. MCCARTNEY, C. H. JENKINS. 

